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Mexico has held 15 world championship races in the past and is among the most likely forthcoming additions to the F1 calendar.

Local interest is growing thanks to Sergio Perez, Mexico’s first F1 driver for 30 years. Perez is entering his second season in F1 after an impressive debut campaign which included a test for Ferrari, whose driving development programme he is part of.

Hot on his heels is fellow countryman Esteban Gutierrez, who won the GP3 championship in 2010 and is expected to contend for the GP2 crown with Lotus GP (formerly ART) this year.

Both enjoy backing from Mexican telecommunications giant Telmex. Carlos Slim Domit, son of Telmex’s chairman (and the world’s richest man) Carlos Slim Helu, is an enthusiastic supporter of bringing F1 back to Mexico.

Domit, an FIA Senate member and patron of the Asociacion Mexicana Automovilistica (Mexican Automobile Association), believes a Mexican round could connect with the existing races in Canada and Brazil and forthcoming two rounds in the USA.

He told the FIA’s InMotion magazine last December: “Linking races in Canada and the US with a Mexican round would perfectly consolidate Formula One’s footprint in North and Central America and provide a viable bridge to the race in Brazil.”

On a recent visit to Mexico FIA president Jean Todt said: “Today, Mexico is an economically strong country and I am convinced that in the future [an F1 return] is possible,

“However, we know that the races have a cost, [and] there are also a number of criteria for the approval of an event, especially in terms of safety.”

The best of both worlds

Mexico previously held F1 races between 1963 and 1970 and again from 1986 to 1992 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. Domit calls the circuit the “obvious choice” for a revived Mexican Grand Prix.

It’s not hard to see why. Most F1 circuits can be broadly divided into two categories: permanent facilities built outside of city centres, and temporary facilities built within city centres.

Both have obvious compromises: Circuits built on public roads have restricted layouts and while some can produce excellent tracks (Monaco, Long Beach) others turn out less well (Valencia, Phoenix). Permanent facilities do not have this problem, but they lack the key advantage of holding a race in the middle of a city – immediate access to a large population.

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez potentially offers the best of both worlds. The circuit is already built, though it would undoubtedly need updating to modern standards.

And, like Interlagos in Brazil, it has the advantage of being situated in a very large city. Mexico City is home to 20.4 million people, making it the world’s third-largest metropolitan area, outstripping current and future F1 venues Sao Paulo (Interlagos) and New York (New Jersey) respectively.

Safety

Domit called the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez an “obvious choice” for a race. But, like Todt, he stressed the need to bring the circuit up to F1′s safety standards: “This would of course need remodelling to bring it up to the standard of the circuits now gracing the F1 stage, but several design agencies have been consulted and the possibilities for the circuit are good.”

Domit added: “The circuit also has enormous heritage value and features such as the legendary banked Peraltada corner (the 180-degree right-hander at the end of the lap) would make the track a fine addition to any calendar.”

It’s unrealistic to expect F1 drivers to be allowed to tackle the Peraltada in its current form without either drastically reducing their entry speed or adding extra run-off (unlikely as there’s a public road behind the retaining wall). Hopefully much of its simple layout and sinuous curves could be retained without resorting to the usual Tilke tricks of making the lap excessively long and infested with hairpins and chicanes.

Domit adds: “The 2005 Champ Car race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez reportedly attracted a race day crowd of some 159,000 people and an event weekend total of 271,000 fans. These are figures that would be the envy of any F1 circuit.”

There are rival new-build projects competing to be the home of a new Mexican Grand Prix. No doubt these would offer pristine tracks, gleaming pit buildings and somewhere fancy for the Paddock Club denizens to quaff their champagne, nibble their amuse-bouche and ignore the inconvenient din of racing cars.

But none of them could rival the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for heritage, nor its proximity to such a vast audience. F1 would be crazy to consider going anywhere else in Mexico.

98 comments on Why ‘Mexico’s Interlagos’ would be perfect for F1

I’ve always found the track to be a little overrated. The last corner was exciting 20 odd years ago, but would it even be a challenge for a modern F1 car? The rest of the track is just an endless series of esses, which might be alright if the track had a bit more variety to it, but it doesn’t.

The potential for large crowds is good, and I suppose the fact it’s different from other tracks would add some much needed variety to the calendar, but, much like the old Hockenheim, I think it’s just a case of rose tinted glasses.

@dan-thorn I think as a combination of track plus location plus crowd it’s hard to beat.

Speaking just about the track, I’m a big fan. Yes, there are obvious obstacles to getting it right for modern F1 as mention in the article. But otherwise it’s great: it’s not too long a lap (4.4km, times would probably be in the Interlagos region) and modern F1 cars would look fantastic going through the “endless series of esses”.

I think that particular sequence is a excellent – like they always used to say if you get the first part wrong you’ll be paying for it six or seven corners later.

I think that, much like the old Hockenheim, it’s quite unlike anything else on the calendar right now. And that’s a huge plus point in its favour.

There is a stultifying lack of variety in modern F1 track design. This is something other than a couple of massive straights bookended by hairpins plus a few perfunctory squiggles. I’d give it a place on the calendar for its layout alone.

I’m on board for track variety, Keith, and I would love to see the old Hockenheim back. Based on inspection via Google map, however, this track in Mexico would be another anvil like Valencia or Bahrain.

The only possible passing spot (other than DRS) would be the turn at the end of the straight and even that would be difficult because it is radius turn rather than a hard right. Suzuka’s esses, which I think are most comparable, are similar but the rest of Suzuka is varied. This track in Mexico appears to be nothing but curves. ..and basically a flat track to boot. (Based on Google maps terrain and the fact that the infield is full of football(soccer) fields)

I agree that Tilke tracks are too formulaic and boring but I think the problem with Tilke is not the ideas behind his tracks but the execution. If you look at some of the great tracks they are great because they follow the land and have variety of turns and “straights,” (I put that in quotes because a lot of great straights are not exactly straight,) and the variety allows for passing opportunities and interesting lines. Tilke wants to emulate these but tries to shoehorn them into a flat arena and seems to have little creativity beyond the first track he designed.

This track looks like what a Bizarro Tilke would design. Still formulaic and boring but instead of straights and hairpins, just an endless series of esses. Back and forth, back and forth.

20 years ago I was 7 years old, so I’ve never watched a race held in Mexico City but I like what a see on that image, that pistol shaped circuit in the middle of a “concrete jungle” seems fabulous. I’d say it’s a “slam dunk”.

Plus, adding Mexico to Canada, US and Brazil would be perfect, to make it even better, they could drop Bahrain and add Argentina to the party. We could have three back-to-back races in the Americas, I thinking about (1) Montreal+NY/NJ, (2) Austin+Mexico City and (3) Argentina+São Paulo… oh if I was Bernie!

I’m 100% with you Keith. Not only is the city location great, it’s hosted some of the most amazing races of the late 80s early 90s including in my opinion the best F1 race ever in 1990.

The great thing about the track is that with the altitude, the downforce is low, and the long straight meant teams weren’t able to pile on the downforce so the cars slide around. Incredibly Prost even took off downforce to save his tyres and that contributed to his 1990 victory (and 3th place grid position)

Couple this with the bumps that used to appear each year and you have a recipe for a massive driver challenge.

However I really can’t see the current layout surviving an F1 visit intact, and that’s assuming they don’t take one look at the bumps turn round and run back to Valencia…

Regarding the Peraltada, It was spectacular then and no doubt it would be spectacular now-a superfast corner but one even an F1 car will never be able to take flat out because of the extreme 180 deg. radius in a relatively short space. IMO it has the potential to be the best corner in F1 right now.

i saw that corner in 91-92 and it was good.
I saw corner 8 at instambul park in 2009, and eventhough they should give you the same type of feeling, wasn’t even close.
The bigest problem with f1 in general and circuits in particular today, it’s that the spectator is so far away from the action for safety reasons that you don’t get the shock factor.
If they don’t come with a solution for that, hermanos rodrigez is going to be like the rest of the canibaliized race tracks.

Can’t do that, without demolishing the baseball stadium at the inside of the corner. Since I dislike baseball intensely I’m all for it, but I suspect the many Mexican baseball fans are of different opinion. :)

Champ Car used the infield of the baseball stadium as a part of the track to avoid the Peraltada… The Hermanos Rodríguez Track have 4 places for passing… 3 if they use the Peraltada… The road cant be closed because its a freeway and the way to the airport… The Peraltada reducted the banking because Senna had a hard crash there in 1991, but with the original banking (much like an oval circuit curve) can be possible for modern f1 cars…

This track better than a fair few number of the tracks on the current calendar. I imagine that crowds will be huge, with many more watching at home, so returning to this track would be a win-win for the sport.

I’m not sure if it really is better. But is different and I like that. I think they should give it a try.
But I think you might be right about the massive audience. And that’s something additions to the calender often lack.

If I remember correctly, for the champ car races run at Mexico City they had to different layouts. The first went through a mickey mouse section (where they’ve built a baseball stadium) on the inside of Peraltada, therefore bypassing the corner. The second layout had a chicane on the run-up to Peraltada, so the corner was taken at low speed. It sounds like they won’t be able to add extra run-off so that means the corner will have to be neutered in some way, unfortunatly. However, it’s a historic venue and has a great atmosphere, so I’d welcome it’s return. It’d make a pretty cool 3 race (primetime)finale, with Austin and Interlagos…

Well remembered. In a dream scenario they’d just rip up the public road (building a replacement somewhere else) and put more run-off. Not inconceivable, I doubt they have the same planning permission rules we have here… I’m sure if Carlos Slim(s) want it done, it’ll be done!

I remember the champ car race that cut the Peraltada in half.
90 right into the baseball stadium.
Then 90 left
The 90 right back on to the Peraltada half way through the corner.
Of course I’d prefer if F1 used the full Peraltada but it’s been a long time since F1 ran on this track and it’s probably not safe now to do that.

the nascar´s chicane was in the middle of the main straight, before curve 1… Peraltada is the last one… BTW Nascar cars cant brake as hard as an F1, that was the explain of the chicane… A1 and BMW used a chicane before the Peraltada…

Which is why they’ll go elsewhere. FOM and the FIA have a long history of looking at all the options and going with “Which one makes the least possible sense, and benefits the lowest number of people?”

That is so true. I think back when F1 visited Phoenix, the other option was Laguna Seca. A sensible person would have chosen Laguna Seca ten times out of ten, but this the FOM and FIA were talking about.

Honestly, that just doesn’t make sense, the track is far too narrow for F1 cars to overtake, and the corkscrew would just be dangerous… It’s difficult enough in a road car on the games consoles.. Imagine how hard it would be in real life F1?

Whereas I feel F1 needs to have a presence in countries like this (although preferably only 1 race per country) I do worry as to the length of the calendar, Bernie kept saying that 20 races would be the limit, and with 2 American tracks coming up, Russia in 2014, and all the others that have been rumoured (South Africa, France, Argentina to name a few), some tracks currently on the calendar would have to go… And there’s too many tracks coming in to just ‘make do’ with getting rid of Valencia/Barcelona (which are the only 2 agreeably bad tracks on the calendar). Others will have to go aswell, Spa/Monza etc.

It’s sad, but it’s gotta be realised at some point.. The calendar cannot cope with more than 20 races…

This anger’s me, this need, to ruin perfectly decent track’s & bring them up to “f1 standard”. I don’t watch champ car & was’nt aware they raced thier, but as I understand thing’s, champ car’s are similar to an f1 car, so if nobody got hurt or killed then, in 2005, then why, all of a sudden is the track so unsafe. It is’nt.

Fine, if f1 want’s to build new track’s to the mythical ‘f1 standard’ but stop ruining perfectly fine existing racetracks.

F1 cars are massively faster through fast corners than the Champ Cars. Something like the Brawn or the RB8 that’s especially good in fast corners would absolutely destroy those esses and come into the banked corner at top speed.

I agree that we should be using traditional racetracks and giving the drivers a variety of challenges: but the 18 years since Senna’s death should not lead us to complacency.

You’ve hit the nail on the head there. As much as it pains me to say it, a lot of the sterilization that goes on when tracks are “brought up to F1 standards” is actually a necessity. When you look at the after effects of Perez’s crash in Monaco last season (the one track that is allowed to stay on the calendar despite being inappropraite for F1) you can’t argue otherwise.

The thought of an RB7 going off at nearly full speed in the Peraltada is really scary considering the lack of run off there.

People get concussion’s playing football, people get paralised and killed playing football, football’s ok, people fall of thier push bike’s and get hurt, downhill skiers fall and get hurt, skateboaders fall and get hurt, tennis players get injured, golfers get injuries, people riding horse’s , jumping and racing them fall of and get hurt. Civilans get killed every day in road cars and if the accident scene was part of our daily commute we would all continue to travel that exact same route.

Yes, but people who participate in those activities know and accept the risks. When you have a track in close proximity to a road, you don’t want a car flying off the road, vaulting the barriers and killing civilians.

The performance characteristics of Champ Cars and F1 cars are quite different; simply because a track is adequate for the former does not mean it is adequate for the latter. Furthermore, simply because a track is considered safe enough for a series in 2005 does not mean it will be safe in 2012 following seven years of car development.

@mattynotwo Luckily for drivers like Sergio Perez and Robert Kubica, the FIA’s response to Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger’s deaths was rather more intelligent than to say “it happens” and carry on as before.

Your comparison between F1 and football is naive. You’re talking about a collision between two human bodies travelling no faster than they can run. Compare that to the dizzying range of possible outcomes when when one or multiple cars, each capable of huge speeds, collide with each other or a barrier.

Where’s the point of impact? What’s the barrier made out of? What surface are they on? Are they in the air? How does an impact-absorption structure deform after multiple hits? Just a few of the myriad factors that can contribute to the dynamics of a crash.

That’s why safety in F1 is a vastly more complicated issue than safety in football. That’s why it requires more careful consideration.

Take Felipe Massa’s 2009 crash as an example. Did the FIA demand cockpit canopies be installed at the next race or the following season? No, they’re studying whether they would make an appreciable improvement in safety because it’s a complex subject. What if a canopy made it harder for a driver to escape in a fire, for example?

What they have done is demand stronger helmets and visors, and these are already in use. Do you think they should have just said “it happens” and carry on? How would you justify not improving helmet safety if someone had a similar crash to Massa’s – but with a heavier object than a spring?

No, you don’t work for the FIA. But as you seem to think racing drivers should make periodic blood sacrifices to satisfy your desire that the sport should not be ‘too safe’, then expect to get put on the spot.

@mattnotwo, Keith is perfectly right when he writes how putting in more factors, engines etc. into the equation, its automatically far more complicated a matter and something governing bodies have to look at closely.

And when you write about other sports and claim they do not regulate and change safety, you rather show you are not well informed.

Just look at how helmets are now mandatory for cycling, Ice-hockey, skiing etc, when a decade ago no one wanted to be seen with those or be laughed at for being a sissy.

Fact is, that the FIA is at the forefront of studying accidents and implementing safety measures (and rightly so).
But the more we learn about impacts, the more people realise that its not normal to accept serious consequences of accidents and that better protection, different surfaces and better equipment can do a lot to save lives in just about any sport.

I for one think that F1 is defined as a single-seater, open-cockpit, closed wheel (as of approx ’55 anyway) series. I probably would disagree with the introduction of canopies. But other than that, even if it visually neuters the sport it is ridiculous to want to return to racing as it was in the 70’s, for instance. And the football analogy is also invalidated but the vast number of people actually playing football in comparison to competing in F1- probably all motorsports combined in fact.

No, my compararison between F1 and football is not naive. What is naive, and displays a gratuitous sense of entitlement, is to say that it is reasonable to sit in race car at 300km/h+, {which most people who don’t follow motorsport would say is an idiotic thing to do to start with} be paid millions to do it, then expect, that if something goes wrong, to come out of every incident without a scratch, all the while everyday civilians die on the roads daily. You cannot be serious.

You will struggle to name ANY athletic endevour which does’nt carry some risk of injury.

When you go back, read what I’ve said again you will see that I’m right.

2 things: Altitude of Mexico City reduce the engine potency of any car… The “eses” arent an easy part of the track… the turbo era of F1 prooved that this track is one of the best in the world… Come to Mexico, see the track, assist to one or two races and then call it “dangerous”, “imposible”… The Hermanos Rodriguez is like Monza but with more curves…

Much, much better than Valencia I think. It puzzles me that despite Bernie’s tendency to spread F1 to the entire world he keeps 2 GPs in one country (and both of them are usually the most boring races of the calendar).

I don’t see the pattern. Even if F1 was a minority sport these countries hosted GPs before Alonso and Schumacher became champions. Why would Bernie still want 2 races in Spain after F1 became so popular there?

How would the FIA accommodate all these proposed tracks and races in a single calendar year? We would be getting Austin this year and there are stories about Russia and New Jersey, Argentina and more in the future I am sure. At the same time the FIA seems reluctant to take a track off the calendar unless it has no option. Tracks like New Delhi , Abu Dhabhi, Korea, Singapore are long term contracts while old tracks like Monaco and Monza are a given. I dont think teams would allow winter development time being allocated for a new race. And then there is the cost consideration for the teams.

@MahavirShah At present we’ve got Korea and Valencia trying to re-negotiate their contracts, who knows what’s going to happen with Bahrain, and other tracks coming up on their contract renewal deadlines. The German race is already being rotated between two tracks and one of those is in trouble.

I just hope that ‘good’ tracks are not sacrificed for new tracks just because they attract more money. That being said, I have never seen a race in Mexico so I really dont know how good the track is. Id rather see Valencia and Catalunya go than Spa or Monza.

i was at the track that day. It was a fight to the finish line and patrese won.
There is a very intense love of f1 in south america. I am sure in any big city like mexico, lima, santiago de chile, buenos aires just to name a few, you are going to have a full house.
Moto gp have plans for a return to argentina, and maybe brazil, plus a new venue in santiago. I imagine f1 will follow. When there is a fan base and money, the gladiator will come forward as one promoter once said.

I fail to understand why you always hyperlink to the article on the Indian Grand Prix while complaining about the usual Tilke circuits. The Indian Grand Prix is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar, fastest among the Tilke ones. It has no chicanes. A better example of a standard Tilke circuit would be Bahrain or Abu Dhabi.

I’d like to see this circuit return as I think Mexico would be a great country for F1 to visit. Id include Mexico in place of Bahrain or Abu Dhabi. Talking of old tracks, Id also like to see F1 at Kyalami again.

agree. They are more interesting countries to visit. Fearly prced food and beer, plus good looking women. That’s what the fans want between qualy and the race.
Good heritage, and intense tracks with bad surface, that pushes the cars to the limit.
A better option that many places like baharain and valencia, istambul, just to name a few.

If they manage to improve safety without sacrificing the flow and the spectacular corners of the track, espesially the Peraltada then yes please. But if it’s another pathetic Tilkedrome, Circuit Hermanos Rodriguez in name and location but not in spirit, then I’d rather they follow COTA’s lead and build a new track that can be both safe and exciting.